Packers 2013 NFL Draft – First Round Pick: Datone Jones, DE UCLA

With their first round pick (26th overall) in the 2013 NFL draft, the Green Bay Packers select Datone Jones, a DE from UCLA.

PLAYER DETAILS:
Datone Jones
DE
UCLA
6’4″/283lbs

CAREER NOTES:

From NFL.com: The graduate of Compton High School stuck around Los Angeles to play college ball after being named a four-star recruit by multiple recruiting services. Datone (pronounced DAY-tone) played in 10 games, with two starts, as a true freshman in 2008 (credited with 17 tackles) before starting every game the following year while racking up 11 tackles for loss and four sacks (including one in the team’s EagleBank Bowl win over Temple). Unfortunately, Jones missed the entire 2010 season with a fractured right foot suffered in preseason camp. Jones’ statistics were nothing special in 2011 (41 tackles, 6.5 for loss, three sacks as a 14-game starter), and he wasn’t even named to the All-Pac 12 honorable mention squad by league coaches.

As with many college defensive prospect, overruns the play, taking himself out of it

COMMENTARY:

Great pick by the Packers, as I’ve written about in the past, dominant 3-4 defenses feature a star defense end and a star safety. Just think of Haloti Ngata in Baltimore, JJ Watt in Houston, Justin Smith in San Francisco and Calais Campbell in Arizona. One of the ALLGBP.com staff’s favorites, we had predicted Jones to be gone before the Packers got the chance to pick, so this is great value for Ted Thompson. Jones has the ability to add more weight to his frame (who happens now to be the tallest defensive linemen on the Packers squad) and be both a dominant pass rusher as well as run stopper. Until then, Jones makes the defensive end rotation much stronger now with Mike Neal, CJ Wilson and Jerel Worthy.

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Thomas Hobbes is a staff writer for Jersey Al’s AllGreenBayPackers.com.

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I absolutely could NOT be happier!!! This really was probably the best pick the Packers could have hoped for at 26. I have been saying all offseason long that the biggest need is easily a pass rushing DE, and they got one!

Forgive me for wanting need over talent, but this pick alone could potentially turn that defense around IMO. Go Pack!

The only downsides of this pick are a major foot injury and Pickett is still 33 with no replacement…Yet… Theres a lot of blog chatter about jones being too light. Against most of the offensives, shouldn’t be an issue. He’s not Jamal Reynolds. But we will have to see how he does against large athletic olines like sf and the giants …. all in all, good pick at 26, especially if we can get a tank in the next couple rounds to replace Pickett.

Another undersized D-Lineman. We just drafted Daniels last year. All this talk about getting bigger and longer and faster was just talk! There were DT’s like Sylvester Williams who could actually hold the point of attack! In case you haven’t noticed, both teams in the Super Bowl were running teams! But all TT does is whiff on supposed pass rushers that are 280lbs.

huh? Mike Daniels is 6’0″ Jones is 6’4″. He will easily put on 15 lbs. He’s better than Sylvester Williams… wait and see…

And from the NFL Scouting report: ”

As soon as Jones stepped on the practice field for the first scrimmages, he showed off his excellent short-area burst coming off the edge, winning almost all of his one-on-one battles with strength and quickness at the point of attack. Because he had lined up all over the defensive line in college, his scheme versatility made him an attractive prospect for hybrid defenses in the National Football League…. He has very good balance, body control and quickness off the snap. He also demonstrates impressive leverage strength and a solid frame. He displays proper knee bend when pass rushing off the edge and the burst to close on the quarterback. He also uses his long arms effectively to reach and separate.”

So he’s 4 inches taller, he’s very, very light for a 3/4 end. So he will put on 15 lbs. And he won’t slow down? Oh good, first we have to put weight on him, then we have to see if he can actually hold the point of attack. Sounds like another reach!

You are aware that Justin Smith has the EXACT same weight/height than Jones, right?

I’m not commenting on talent, I haven’t watched any Bruins games to say. The video posted (against USC) didn’t amuse me at all, seemed slow to react and not strong enough to overpower anyone. Yet almost every scouting report states that this kid is amazingly strong, has good burst and motor.

But too short? Too light? Maxed out frame? I can’t comprehend how anyone can affirm that.

Justin Smith is maniacal on and off the field. He plays w/ an extreme intensity and trains the same way. He used to weigh 300 and he adapted and added training w/ Navy Seals to his already rigorous strength training. That along w/ his maniacal intensity allows him to succeed at 285. Smith is the exception to the rule and nothing I’ve seen or read points to Jones being nearly as intense.

Don’t count on Jones being any Justin Smith/JJ Watt! I hope like hell I’m wrong but I don’t see they hype w/ this guy.

I’m not saying he’s going to be Justin Smith. But your arguments are based on absolutely nothing. Saying from your chair that he has maxed his frame and that he’s too light and has too short of arms to play at an elite level is complete BS.

Oh for crying out loud, you are seriously over reacting bud! Yes, the run is important, but the No. 1 priority for every defense is rushing the passer and that’s what the Packers will be able to do now. Even if what you say is true, the only thing the opposing teams will be able to do is run, and that’s just not enough.

So unless you’re saying you expect every team to be able to do what the 49er’s did against us, which is obviously ridiculous, then you are just completing overreacting. Get a hold of yourself, we’re gonna be fine!

Oh for crying out loud. IF you don’t believe me go ask any football coach who’ more impotant to stopping the run! How is Jones a better pass rusher than Nal, Worthy or Daniels? I certainly don’t see it from watching his “highlites”.

A sub-package with Worthy, Neal, Jones on the line and Perry and Matthews rushing from outside. That could be a simply awesome pass rush before too long.

I think Stroh is too obsessed with weight and arm length. Jones has big strong hands and is very good at using them, which counts for a lot in trench battles. He wins battles when he keeps consistently low (that should improve with coaching).

The game is evolving into one where you need more athleticism at end, even in the 3-4. It is telling that TT picked Jones over the heavier but less athletic Sylvester Williams.

Bottom line, watch his battles with Fisher at the Senior Bowl….then watch how everyone else fared against Fisher, Jones put him under more pressure than anyone else.

I watched his film highlites. Jones just doesn’t show up and dominate. He makes plays that are easy, but I didn’t see him make any plays where he dominated the guy across from him and then made a play. A lot of unblocked plays from what I saw that won’t happen in the NFL. I go out of my way to make sure I don’t go just by measurable and make sure his play is overriding his measurables. Jones already has trouble disengaging in college, that’s not going to get better in the NFL!

I agree. They want to get bigger and tougher and they take a guy that’s 284 and is Now the SMALLEST DL on the roster?! Looking at Jones from a Strength and Conditioning perspective, he looks like he’s already as big as he can get. His legs and hips look maxed out

And please don’t try to tell me that Jones is gonna be like JJ Watt or Ngata! I watch tape too, he just doesn’t look like a man among boys like Ngata, nor does he have the intersity of Watt. He looks like just another guy he didn’t stand out from what I could see! He’s had talen his entire career why didn’t he show up and make some plays till he was a SR?

You can’t be seriously comparing Jones to Ngata or even JJ Watt! That’s utterly ridiculous! I hope like hell I’m wrong, but I just don’t see it?! They say they want to get bigger and longer at DE and they take the smallish DE w/ SHORT arms. Makes no sense to me.

actually i didn’t compare him to anyone, I said the dominant 3-4 defenses feature a star defensive end. I seriously hope he does become one of those players, but I’m definitely not going to crown him just yet.

SO you didn’t compare him… WHere did you see him look like a man among boys? WHere did you see an enormous amount of intensity? Hell I watched film too, he just never stood out! I give Neal and Worthy as good a chance of being dominant as I do Jones. Just cuz he played some 34 DE doesn’t mean he is gonna be a dominant 34 DE.

I hope like Hell, I’m wrong, but I don’t see ANYTHING dominant about him… Nothing!

Your commentary on Jones… “Great pick by the Packers, as I’ve written about in the past, dominant 3-4 defenses feature a star defense end and a star safety. Just think of Haloti Ngata in Baltimore, JJ Watt in Houston, Justin Smith in San Francisco and Calais Campbell in Arizona.”

Maybe not a direct comparison but it was certainly implying he be able to play like them. Otherwise you could have thrown out more non-descript names.

I think you need to take a step back and READ that statement again. You don’t like the pick and I have no problem with that, but you are letting it cloud your intelligence. No where in the post do I compare Jones to anyone; I haven’t compared Jones to anyone in terms of measurables, talent, experience, positional versatility, college production, anything. Did I say “Jones reminds me of Justin Smith because…”? No, and now you are reaching just to make a point, which ironically I don’t disagree with you on.

You commented on the article I posted that I am referring to so presumably you’ve read it. Ngata, Watt, Smith and Campbell are a big reason why those defenses are great.

But if you really want my opinion on Jones I think he’s a combination of Decon Jones, Reggie White and Warren Sapp. I also see a little Lawrence Taylor in him as well.

In general, I agree with you on Neal, I see a lot of similarities, one being that Neal and Jones are both RIPPED, unlike Raji and Worthy. I had high hopes for Neal after seeing what he did agianst the Redskins as a rookie. Hope he’s 100% healthy and is able to get back on that track…

You judge football players, and make comparisons between them, based almost exclusively on their combine results and measurables.

The rest of us judge football players, and make comparisons between them, based almost exclusively on their ability to play football, on a football field, against other football players, during football games.

The numbers are interesting, and they certainly help you gain an idea of a players’ athleticism, but they don’t speak a lick as to how a player actually plays the game.

This is precisely why you think Mike Neal is the same guy as Mike Daniels is the same guy as Jerel Worthy is the same guy as Datone Jones..

And it’s exactly why those of us who watch football as opposed to reading numbers on a page can tell you these guys share very little in common with one another as it pertains to playing football outside of dimensions.

Stroh, glad you got a resume…but where does that put your opinion relative to the Packers GM and coaching staff who did pick Jones? I do appreciate your assessment of his physique and perhaps inability to grow or develop….but players can’t be predicted simply by pounds, inches. Even if redundant pick as you say…its a good rotation, and allows fresh bodies, good competition on that D-line. I’m pleased…even though I would have preferred Syl.Williams

What kind of supporting cast did he have at UCLA? Meh. I would expect a good player on a team with average talent to be the focus of a good to excellent opponent and that they’ll be able to hold him in check.

The fact that he did look good against lesser competition is just as important. If he had a tendency to disappear against lesser opponents, that would be cause for concern.

I don’t want to get on the wrong page w/ you here, Al. But your blogger, not some kinda expert, and your opinion is no more valid than most any of the others here. I’d be happy to put my track record against yours in comparison. And as a former S and C Coach w/ a degree in Ex Phys, who worked w/ athletes I think I have a definite advantage knowing athletes.

And that’s why I depend on the opinions of real experts like the head of NFL scouting services over you or anyone else. The only problem with your comments, Stroh, is you come off like your opinion is the only one that can possibly be right. I think that grates on a lot of people.

Even so, I’m not going to tell you your opinion is wrong, I’m just going to disagree. Like I did when you were touting that Jerry Hughes would be the next dynamic rush linebacker in the NFL.

Usually takes a couple years to learn to play OLB. Especially after being a college DE, like most 34 OLB were. That’s why the Steelers give try to give them 2 full years to learn to play standing up instead of with your hand in the dirt. Standing up you have to learn to process a lot more info in a short time. At DE you just focus on the OT for the most part. Kampman said as much too. That’s why I said it was too late.

But your right I missed on him as an NFL player, I thought if there was a team that he could play well on it was INDY due to them using Freeney and Mathis as very undersized DE’s and little more than speed rushers. Hughes never got near their level. 34 OLB is the most difficult position to project at the pro level and IMO its due to the amount of info the have to process quickly.

I wouldn’t say “as often,” but your point is understood. Having said that, the guy I converse with has 40+ yrs of scouting experience. He gave me Cobb, Sherrod, Hayward and others. When he talks, I listen.

While there are some NFL experts there, that’s not what I meant at all. I often disagree with the overall player rankings there, but I don’t do the Big Board. Not that that matters, That’s just a fun thing for me to participate in. I’m talking about a couple of guys who have been scouting as long as I’ve been watching football. They have a soft spot for Packers fans (have actually found that among many scouting-type people I talk to) and are nice enough to share some privileged info with me. And that’s all I’m going tom say…

Stroh, because you do have this kind of background (which I don’t have), I respect your opinion on these guys, physically.

Just because a guy is muscled out and looks the part doesn’t mean he plays with leverage and good technique, either. He can still play soft. My opinion based on the limited clips I’ve seen is that Jones is a one-trick pony: he plays upfield. Great in that it’s the first step in cutting down opposing running games (playing in their backfield) but also a liability in that he’ll get pushed out of plays and lost in misdirection.

The next question is, what’s in their heads and what makes them tick? My hope is that the Packers are comfortable with this aspect of his game and feel he’ll be a high-intensity guy in the NFL. This was a question with Worthy.

CMIII is almost exclusively a pass rusher. And the other is coming off IR. And he wasn’t very impressive beforehand. Now he’s the one they should have had gain weight. He has really good speed But playing OLB, you also need quickness. And he didn’t have it.

Im glad we took a DE, now it just comes down to did we take the right one? John Gruden is high on jones. Jim mora jr says he’ll be a better pro then college player. Might take a year or two before he hits his potential. Need to sign him to a 5 year rookie contract so he doesn’t bolt the team early.

Stroh, get over yourself. So you coached a little at bum-fuck prep, big effing deal! I’m just gonna call a spade a spade here, because I’ve heard enough… If you were half the talent evaluator you purport yourself to be you wouldn’t be on these boards.. cuz, ya know… You’d be getting paid to make these assessments.

You speak in such absolutes and certainties, that I, personally, can’t take a word you write serious. You have an opinion, so does everybody else that comes here… The only difference is, most of us realize we don’t know shit and just like to throw our takes out there, you unfortunately take yourself waaaay too serious, as I’ve said before, you’re the only one.

Jones = solid pick @ 26.

Per Mayock: Jones was the only guy to consistently OWN Fisher during senior bowl practices.

I believe that the Packers are looking to team up CM3 with Lines on their left side. If Jones can rush the passer as well as the scouts believe, he and Matthews will create some blocking problems for opposing OL’s. I think he is a good pick. I just hope that he can get in the field and stay healthy. If we can him and Perry and Bishop on the field maybe we can see what kind of defense we really have this season. Thanks, Since ’61

If only Stroh was available to help stem the tide of Packer injuries. He is a strength and conditioning coach you know. Maybe jersey al can put in a good word for him with TT. Super bowl victory, here we come! Stroh is on the job. … I don’t know about the rest of you but I feel better. GoPack!
Ps. Time will tell but I love the pick of Jones.

On being an inside rusher
He’s athletic and he’s long, so he moves with ease. I think that he’ll be able to give us rush inside. In our 3-4, he can play out at defensive end and he can be an inside player and do a good job against both the run and the pass inside.

On importance of height:
It’s important. If you’re drawing up a defensive end, you’d like to have a guy with his kind of height and length. It was one of the things that was appealing to us.

Can he put on more weight:
I think he has a big frame. He’s a very lean guy when you see him. I don’t know what his percent body fat is but he didn’t have a lot of excess. I think he’s one of those guys that, just the natural progression, that he’ll be able to put on weight.

Thanks for the insight Al. Not sure it’s going to satisfy the Site contrarians though. They, of course, know so mcuh more than the guys who do it for a living.

Hell, one of them doesn’t know the difference betwee a real scout and a jounalist pretending to know what he’s talking about. As I witnessed in your responce to him.

I’d like to see them give a little more effort to solidify the Oline but I sure as hell can’t tell them who. The best I can do is give them the demensions. A very big, fast guy who eats nails and kicks dogs would do nicely.

Just what in TT’s drafting for the last 7 years, gives you guys all this confidence? He’s had all this time, and God knows how many draft choices on both lines. And both lines have been the weakness of this team for YEARS! We heard last year, after he drafted a couple of D-Linemen, how much better they will be because the talent he drafted. The only D-Lineman he has drafted that is any good is Raji. And he’s not that good. The rest are just guys. And he’s been doing it for years. He drafts undersized linemen, then everybody on these boards say, in unison, that he’ll put on weight and be the guy! And it NEVER happens! It’s getting a little old listening to everybody say how great TT is at drafting. He can draft WR’s and DB’s. He’s very good at those. The only lineman he’s drafted that’s actually really good is Sitton. Bulaga hasn’t done enough. His first year was a disaster, his second was good, and last year he got owned right out of the gate. And as soon as we played average teams, he played better. Then he broke his hip.